Submodules

Add a submodule

A submodule embeds an external repository at a fixed commit inside your project. Use submodules when you need to track an upstream library or shared component while keeping its history separate.

$ git submodule add <url> <path>
$ git commit -m "Add submodule"

This creates a .gitmodules file (or appends to it) and records the pinned commit in the index.

Clone a repo with submodules

$ git clone --recurse-submodules <url>

Or after a regular clone:

$ git submodule update --init --recursive

Update a submodule to latest

$ git submodule update --remote
$ git add <path>
$ git commit -m "Update submodule"

Remove a submodule

See Remove a Submodule for a full walkthrough — the three cleanup steps, what each does, and common gotchas.